Testaments of the Twelve Patriachs - Levi

Story Summary

In the Testament of Levi, who was the third son of Jacob/Israel, Levi, the priest, speaks mostly of visions and prophesies regarding Judgement Day and Jesus in the longest of the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs.

On his deathbed although still perfectly healthy, Levi imparts wisdom to his sons (1:1-3).  Levi reminds them that he and Simeon took revenge on Hamor for their sister Dinah (ref. Genesis 34) (1:4).

Levi then explains how he had a vision wherein he saw seven different heavens.  The first held fire, snow, and ice, and the spirits of vengeance for men prepared for the Day of Judgement.  The second heaven held the armies which would unleash vengeance the spirits of deceit and on Beliar (Belial) on Judgement Day.  The third heaven above held the holy ones.  The fourth and highest heaven held God.  Next to the fourth heaven a heaven held archangels, who made offerings for the sins of ignorance of the righteous.  Below that heaven are the messenger angels.  Next to that heaven are dominions offering continuous praise to God.  The angel guiding Levi told him that Levi would proclaim God as the redeemer of the Jews, and, through the Tribes of Levi and Judah, God would come to save all races of men (1:5-27).

The vision continued.  The angel guiding Levi told him that Judgement Day is coming and there will be punishment.  God will bless Levi's progeny and they will be a guiding light until God comes into Israel and bestows blessings of mercy on the Jews and Gentiles (2:1-10).

Then the angel took Levi back down to earth and gave him a sword and shield with which to slay Hamor's sons, and Levi did so after this vision (2:11-12).

Levi discovered that his angel guide was the angel responsible for interceding on behalf of the nation of Israel and the righteous.  Then Levi awoke from this vision (2:13-15).

As Levi was returning home, he found a bronze shield.  Levi advised Jacob/Israel and Benjamin to not have Hamor and his sons circumcised.  Then Levi and Simeon, followed by the rest of the brothers, attacked the city where Hamor and his sons lived.  Levi and his brothers had sinned by going against Jacob/Israel's wishes, but Levi knew that God had planned this vengeance because of that city's wickedness.  Levi told Jacob/Israel that his progeny would despoil the Canaanites.  Then they all headed to Bethel (3:1-12)

After seventy days in Bethel, Levi had a vision where seven men in white raiment declared Levi and his progeny to be priests of God forever, adorning him with all of the trappings of priesthood.  Levi's progeny would be divided into three offices as a sign of God's coming; the first is great, the second is the priesthood, and the third will come from Judah, establishing a new priesthood in the fashion of the Gentiles, and that Priest will be a prophet.  Levi's progeny will get the best of the best and will guard the holy place (3:13-30)

Isaac blessed Levi in accordance with the visions Levi had seen.  Jacob/Israel paid tithes to Levi after a vision that Levi would be God's priest.  They all went to Hebron (3:31-34).

There, Isaac taught Levi about the rules, regulations, guidelines, and offerings required by a priest (3:35-42).

Levi has his sons all of this to be free of the guilt of his progeny, because "in the end of ages" they will transgress against Christ, the Savior of the world by deceiving Israel and stirring up evils against Him. Because of this, the Temple veil will be rent and they will be exiled.  God will choose a new Jerusalem, per the writings of Enoch (3:43-47).

Levi then recounts the birth of his sons and the family of his sons, as well as laying out a brief historical time line of his life (3:48-59).

Levi commands his progeny to study God's Law, teaching their children to read it unceasingly.  They should also work righteousness to earn treasures in heaven.  Having the wisdom of God will help them favorably endure any situation.  If they teach and obey the teaching, they will be enthroned (4:1-10).

Levi knows that his progeny will attack the Savior.  Where they should be pure and a light to the Gentiles, they will instead be impure and dark; teaching commandments contrary to God's Law, defiling offerings to God, defiling the office of the priesthood in many ways, being arrogant, and treating holy things with contempt.  Therefore God will destroy the Temple, exile the Levites, and assign them eternal shame.  If it wasn't for their forefathers, they would be completely eliminated (4:11-23).

For seventy weeks they will profane the priesthood; making void the Law and persecuting the righteous.  They shall shed the blood of an innocent, dignified Man who renews the Law through God's power.  They will remain in exile until that Man comes back to them with pity, receiving them through faith and water (4:24-29).

Levi further explains the seventy (actually seven) weeks as a series of seven Jubilees, and each one represents a different priesthood.  The first is perfect, and "in the day of his gladness shall he arise for the salvation of the world."  The second "shall be conceived in the sorrow" but glorified by all.  The third through the seventh progress from sorrow, to pain, to great darkness and pollution.  (In the fifth week is when they return from their first exile.)  Then the priesthood will fail (5:1-12).

God will then establish a new, righteous Priest who will judge the earth.  He will enlighten the world with knowledge, establish peace on earth, and be exalted on earth and in heaven.  God will speak to Him, and He will be sanctified in the water.  He will have no successors forever.  He will enlighten the Gentiles, put an end to sin, let the saints eat from the Tree of Life, bind up Beliar, and grant His children power over evil spirits.  God and the Priest's children will rejoice forever (5:13-29).

Then Levi had his sons agree to follow God, and then he died (5:30-35).


Christian Parallels

As can be seen in the summary above, the writing in the Testament of Levi is rich with parallels to Christianity to the point where they are blatantly obvious, but Levi does have some Apocryphal tweaks too.  Given the strong story/prophesy parallel, I will just focus on pointing out specific parallel verses below.

Levi 1:19 speaks of armies in heaven prepared for Judgement Day, like the armies described in Revelation 19:14.

In Levi 1:22 we see archangels making offerings in Heaven; a belief which is consistent with the concept of the parallel Sanctuary in Heaven as presented in Hebrews 8:1-5.

Levi 3:17 speaks of being washed pure with water (like John the Baptist's baptism) and eating bread and drinking wine (Matthew 26:26-29, Mark 14:22-25, Luke 22:17-20) as part of an anointing ceremony.

Levi 3:26 says that God will "establish a new priesthood, after the fashion of the Gentiles."  Gentile rulers of this era were often deified, so that would be one interpretation.  Another is explained in detail in Hebrews 7 regarding Jesus being a priest in the order of Melchizedek.

Levi 3:45 states that the veil of the Temple will be torn, like we find in Matthew 27:51, Mark 15:38, and Luke 23:45.

Levi 4:5 advises to earn treasures in heaven, similar to Matthew 6:19-20, Matthew 19:21, Mark 1:21, Luke 12:23, and Luke 18:22.

In Levi 4:10 we find that anyone who does and teaches others to do noble things (like obey God's Law) is rewarded, similar to the sentiment of Matthew 5:19.

We find in Levi 4:15 that the Levites will teach what is contrary to God's Law, just like we see in Matthew 15:1-9.

Levi 4:20 and Levi 4:28 prophesy that the Temple will be destroyed, like we see in Matthew 24:1-2, Mark 13:1-2, and Luke 21:5-6.

Levi 5:14 shows that the new Priest will judge the world, like we find in John 5:22.

In Levi 5:15 we see a star in the heavens will indicate this new Priest, like the one the wise men followed in Matthew 2:1-9.

We see in Levi 5:16-17 that this Priest will metaphorically bring light into the world, which is a repeated theme in the New Testament, such as in John 1:9 as applied to Jesus.

In Levi 5:20-21 we see where, in water, God will speak and bestow a spirit of sanctification on this new Priest, much like how Jesus' baptism scenes are portrayed in Matthew 3:16-17, Mark 1:10-11, and Luke 3:21-22.

Finally, in Levi 5:27 claims that men will rule over evil spirits, much like in Matthew 10:1, Mark 5:13, Luke 10:17, and Acts 5:16.


Memorable Quotes

"And when I was feeding the flocks in Abel-Maul, the spirit of understand of the Lord came upon me, and I saw all men corrupting their way, and that unrighteousness had built for itself walls, and lawlessness sat upon towers." - Levi 1:6

"And it has fire, snow, and ice made ready for the day of judgement, in the righteous judgement of God; for in it are all the spirits of the retributions for vengeance on men." - Levi 1:18

"And in the second are the hosts Of the armies which are ordained for the day of judgement, to work vengeance on the spirits of deceit and of Beliar." - Levi 1:19

"In the heaven next to it are the archangels, who minister and make propitiation to the Lord for all the sins of ignorance of the righteous;" - Levi 1:22 (interesting that sin offerings are made in parallel in Heaven)

"And [God] said to me: Levi, I have given thee the blessing of the priesthood until I come and sojourn in the midst of Israel." - Levi 2:10

"Then the angel brought me down to the earth, and gave me a shield and a sword, and said to me: Execute vengeance on Shechem because of Dinah, thy sister, and I will be with thee because the Lord hath sent me." - Levi 2:11

"And I said to him: I pray thee, O Lord, tell me Thy name, that I may call upon Thee in a day of tribulation." - Levi 2:13

"And he said: I am the angel who intercedeth for the nation of Israel that they may not be smitten utterly, for every evil spirit attacketh it." - Levi 2:14 (possibly a reference to Michael, ref. Daniel 12:1)

"And I saw seven men in white raiment saying unto me: Arise, put on the robe of the priesthood, and the crown of righteousness, and the breastplate of understanding, and the garment of truth, and the late of faith, and the turban of the head, and the ephod of prophecy." - Levi 3:14

"The second washed me with pure water, and fed me with bread and wine even the most holy things, and clad me with a holy and glorious robe." - Levi 3:17 (baptism and communion!)

"And the third shall be called by a new name, because a king shall arise in Judah, and shall establish a new priesthood, after the fashion of the Gentiles." - Levi 3:26 (Gentile rulers of this era were often deified, so that would be one interpretation.  Another is explained in detail in Hebrews 7 regarding Jesus being a priest in the order of Melchizedek.)

"And Isaac called me continually to put me in remembrance of the Law of the Lord, even as the angel of the Lord showed unto me." - Levi 3:35 (Levi obeys God's Law, which would not be given, Biblically speaking, until centuries later.)

"And behold I am clear from your ungodliness and transgression, which ye shall commit in the end of the ages against the Saviour of the world, Christ, acting godlessly, deceiving Israel, and stirring up against it great evils from the Lord." - Levi 3:44

"For the house which the Lord shall choose shall be called Jerusalem, as is contained in the book of Enoch the righteous." - Levi 3:47 (A reference to prophesy in the book of Enoch, and it is used in a way to suggest Jerusalem is not a particular place on earth, but rather anywhere God wants it to be.)

"Work righteousness, therefore, my children, upon the earth, that ye may have it as a treasure in heaven." - Levi 4:5

"Yea, ye shall bring a curse upon our race, because the light of the law which was given for to lighten every man this ye desire to destroy by teaching commandments contrary to the ordinances of God." - Levi 4:15

"And ye [Levites who attack the Savior] shall be an abomination unto [the Gentiles], and ye shall receive reproach and everlasting shame from the righteous judgement of God." - Levi 4:21

"And a man who reneweth the law in the power of the Most High, ye shall call a deceiver; and at last ye shall rush upon him to slay him, not knowing his dignity, taking innocent blood through wickedness upon your heads." - Levi 4:27

"And to [the Priest God will raise] all the words of the Lord shall be revealed; and he shall execute a righteous judgement upon the earth for a multitude of days." - Levi 5:14

"And the glory of the Most High shall be uttered over him, and the spirit of understanding and sanctification shall rest upon Him in the water." - Levi 5:22 (think when John the Baptist baptizes Jesus...)

"And He shall open the gates of paradise, and shall remove the threatening sword against Adam, and He shall give to the saints to eat from the tree of life, and the spirit of holiness shall be on them." - Levi 5:26 (ref. Genesis 3:22-24 where God puts up a flaming sword to keep man away from the Tree of Life.)

Testaments of the Twelve Patriachs - Simeon

Story Summary

In the Testament of Simeon, who was the second son of Jacob/Israel, Simeon expressed how envy drove him to a murderous plot against his brother Joseph.

On his deathbed, and after some details to set the Testament in motion (1:1-3), Simeon explains how he grew up proud, strong, and accomplished (1:4-6). 

Despite Simeon's strengths and achievements, he was jealous of the favoritism Jacob/Israel showed for Joseph.  Simeon plotted to kill Joseph, but God protected Joseph by having Judah sell Joseph as a slave.  Simeon then was angry at Judah for five months.  God withered Simeon's right hand for seven days.  This caused Simeon to realize his sinful envy and repent for two years (1:7-18).  If you flee to God, you can overcome envy (1:19-20).

Simeon mourned for his role in Joseph's enslavement (2:1-2).  Yet Joseph did not mistreat any of his brothers in Egypt because he walked in singleness of heart for God.  Simeon's progeny should follow Joseph's example (2:3-11).

Simeon advises his sons to avoid fornication because it will drive them away from God and toward Beliar (Belial) (2:12).  Furthermore, the writings of Enoch predict that they will attack the tribe of Levi, but Levi will prevail, despite being small in number, because they are fighting for God (2:13-15).

Simeon says these things to be free of the guilt of his progeny.  If his progeny will put aside envy, then the Canaanites will be destroyed, there will be peace on earth, and God will glorify Shem (3:1-6).  For God Himself will appear on earth, within a body, to save men; the Gentiles and the Jews.  The spirits of deceit will be crushed and ruled.  Therefore Simeon's progeny should not attack the tribes of Judah or Levi because God's salvation will come from them; uniting High Priest and King, God and man (3:7-12).

Then Simeon died (3:13-17).


Christian Parallels

Simeon's general message against envy is a theme repeated in the New Testament, such as Romans 1:29, Galatians 5:26, Titus 3:3, James 3:14, James 3:16, and 1 Peter 2:1.

Simeon 1:19 says that if you flee to God, evil spirits will flee from you, which is similar to James 4:7.

In Simeon 1:20, we find a call to forgive those who are hostile to you, similar to Jesus' words in Matthew 6:12 and Luke 11:4.

Simeon 2:4 recalls how Joseph was compassionate and loving to his brothers despite their selling him into slavery, similar to Jesus' words in Matthew 5:44 and to the sentiment of Romans 12:14.

Simeon 2:11 advises to make "your ways straight before men," which, in phrase, rings of the quoted prophesies regarding John the Baptist (Matthew 3:3, Mark 1:3, Luke 3:4, John 1:23), and, in meaning, is very close to Romans 14:15-18 with the added conclusion of thereby finding "grace before the Lord and men."

The sentiment of Simeon 2:12 against fornication is included in the New Testament, such as 1 Corinthians 6:18, 2 Corinthians 12:21, Galatians 5:19, Ephesians 5:3, and Colossians 3:5.

We see in Simeon 3:5 a prophesy for a time of peace on earth, which is common to both Jewish and Christian eschatology.

Along the lines of prophesy regarding Jesus, the verses are practically blatant in Simeon 3:7-12.  Simeon 3:7 tells us that God Himself will appear on earth and save men.  Simeon 3:8 claims that men will rule over evil spirits, much like in Matthew 10:1, Mark 5:13, Luke 10:17, and Acts 5:16.  In Simeon 3:9, God will take on a body and eat with men. Within the verses of Simeon 3:10-11, we see that Salvation will come from the lineages of both Levi and Judah, merging High Priest and King, and God and man, to save the Gentiles and the Jews.  Consider that Matthew 1:1-17 has Jesus' lineage of Joseph traced through the tribe of Judah, and many Biblical scholars suggest that Luke 3:23-38 has Jesus' lineage traced through Mary, and hold that Mary had bloodline ties to Levi (although they are under some dispute where exactly the Levitical bloodline enters).

Finally, in Simeon 2:12 we see Beliar cast as opposite to God similar to the way in which Christianity claims Satan is opposite to God.


Memorable Quotes

"And I set my mind against [Joseph] to destroy him because the prince of deceit sent forth the spirit of jealousy and blinded my mind, so that I regarded him not as a brother, nor did I spare even Jacob my father." - Simeon 1:8

"And henceforward he sympathiseth with him whom he envied and forgiveth those who are hostile to him, and so ceaseth from his envy." - Simeon 1:20

"And my father asked concerning me, because he saw that I was sad; and I said unto him, I am pained in my liver." - Simeon 2:1 (showing belief of organ-related emotions)

"Therefore was Joseph comely in appearance, and goodly to look upon, because no wickedness dwelt in him; for some of the trouble of the spirit the face manifesteth." - Simeon 2:10

"For I have seen it inscribed in the writing of Enoch that your sons shall be corrupted in fornication, and shall do harm to the sons of Levi with the sword." - Simeon 2:13 (an Apocryphal book of Enoch snags a source reference)

"Then the Mighty One of Israel shall glorify Shem." - Simeon 3:6 (Shem was one of Noah's sons, who, together with Jephath, covered Noah's naked body when he had passed out drunk.  Ref. Genesis 9:20-27)

"For the Lord God shall appear on earth, and Himself save men," - Simeon 3:6

"For the Lord shall raise up from Levi as it were a High Priest, and from Judah as it were a King, God and man, He shall save all the Gentiles and the race of Israel." - Simeon 3:11 (Matthew 1:1-17 has Jesus' lineage of Joseph traced through the tribe of Judah.  Many Biblical scholars suggest that Luke 3:23-38 has Jesus' lineage traced through Mary, and hold that Mary had bloodline ties to Levi, but are under some dispute where exactly the Levitical bloodline enters.)

"For the sorcerers told them, that on the departure of the bones of Joseph there should be throughout all the land darkness and gloom, and an exceeding great plague to the Egyptians, so that even with a lamp a man should not recognize his brother." - Simeon 3:15 (Moses would later remove Joseph's bones during the Exodus according to Simeon 3:17)

Testaments of the Twelve Patriachs - Reuben

Story Summary

In the Testament of Reuben, who was the first son of Jacob/Israel, Reuben expounds in detail on the evils of fornication; which is fitting for a man who raped his father's concubine, Bilhah.  The Apostle Paul would appreciate Reuben's anti-woman sentiment.

On his deathbed, and after some details to set the Testament in motion (1:1-5), Reuben explains how God punished him with a painful venereal disease for seven months for defiling his father's bed (1:6-8).

Reuben went into concerted repentance for seven years, during which time he learned of the seven (actually eight) spirits "against man" which are opposed to the seven (actually eight) spirits given to man to do his work.  Spirits given to man are life, sight, hearing, smell, speech, taste, procreation/sexual intercourse, and sleep.  The opposing spirits are fornication (in the senses), insatiability (in the belly), fighting (in the liver and gall), obsequiousness and chicanery, pride, lying, injustice, and wicked dreams while asleep.  These spirits cause the downfall of young men (1:7-31).

Reuben advises to avoid women (1:32-34).  Because he saw Bilhah bathing naked, he couldn't stop thinking about her.  So when he saw her passed-out drunk and naked, he raped her without her knowing (1:35-40).  God told Jacob/Israel about the rape, and so he never again had sex with Bilhah (1:41).

Reuben advises his sons not to even think about women until God gives them a wife, and in that way they can avoid the guilty shame which haunted him since the Bilhah affair (2:1-6).  Fornication kills men before their time and couples them to Beliar (Belial) (2:7-8).  It was because Joseph protected himself from Potiphar's wife that God protected and rewarded him (2:9-11).  If you can overcome fornication you can overcome Beliar (2:12)

Women are evil because they use sexual attraction to gain power over men, or resort to other tricks if that doesn't work.  Women are more prone to fornication than men.  Command your wives and daughters to appear modest or even ugly, because women who fornicate are bound for eternal punishment (2:13-17).

It was the immodesty and deviant allure of women which caused the fall of the Watchers (fallen angels), who took the form of men to have sex with them (ref. Genesis 6:1-2).  Their offspring were the pre-Flood giants (2:18-19, Nephilim, ref. Genesis 6:4).

So stay away from women, and women should stay away from men, to avoid the evils of fornication (2:20-23).

Reuben knows that his progeny will rebel against Levi's progeny.  However, they should instead respect the Tribe of Levi, because they will have the Law of God, and will be appointed to provide judgements and offer sacrifices as High Priests until the "consummation of the times."  They should deal truthfully with their neighbors and love their brothers.  They should also bow to the Tribe of Judah, because God has made them king of the nation, and they fight visible and invisible wars, and they will "be among you an eternal king" (2:24-30).

Then Reuben died (2:31).


Christian Parallels

Reuben does not contain much that could be called specifically Christian prophesy, but that doesn't mean that it lacks an apparent relationship to the New Testament writings.

Reuben 1:16 says that the spirit spirit given to a man is "the sense of hearing, with which cometh teaching," which is possibly, although unlikely, related to the "faith comes from hearing" sentiment of Romans 10:17.

The general message throughout most of Reuben against fornication is included in the New Testament, such as 1 Corinthians 6:18, 2 Corinthians 12:21, Galatians 5:19, Ephesians 5:3, and Colossians 3:5.

Reuben 2:17 speaks against women adorning themselves for beauty in a fashion echoed in 1 Timothy 2:9-10 and 1 Peter 3:3-5.  Also, while Reuben 2:20-23 does not recommend avoiding marriage completely, its sentiment of avoiding the opposite sex is somewhat similar in nature to the 1 Corinthians 7:25-40 speech regarding abstaining from marriage altogether if you can in order to have a pure and fully devoted life for God.

Along the lines of prophesy regarding Jesus, Reuben 2:24-30 is less obvious than many of the other Testaments.  The tribe of Levi will supply the High Priests until the "consummation of the times" (Reuben 2:26), which could mean until Jesus comes, but is also similar to pre-Christian Jewish eschatology.  Reuben 2:30 states that the Tribe of Judah would fight invisible wars, echoed in Ephesians 6:12.  Reuben 2:30 also says that the Tribe of Judah would "be among you an eternal king," which could mean that it would supply Jesus' lineage, but could also mean that the tribe would simply provide an unbroken lineage of rulers.

We see in Reuben 2:17 the prescription of eternal punishment for fornicators, which is still a popular Christian doctrine, but is also a common theme pre-Christian Jewish eschatology of the 4BC-1BC time frame.

Finally, in Reuben 2:8 and Reuben 2:12 we see Beliar fighting against men in the same ways which Christianity claims Satan is fighting against them.


Memorable Quotes

"And I tell you that [God] smote me with a sore plague in my loins for seven months; and had not my father Jamb prayed for me to the Lord, the Lord would have destroyed me." - Reuben 1:7

"The third, the spirit of fighting, in the liver and gall." - Reuben 1:26 (from back when they believed different organs controlled different emotions)

"And so perisheth every young man, darkening his mind from the truth, and not understanding the Law of God, nor obeying the admonitions of his fathers, as befell me also in my youth." - Reuben 1:32 (speaking about the Law of God centuries before it was given to Moses)

"Having therefore gone in and beheld [Bilhah's] nakedness, I wrought the impiety without her perceiving it, and leaving her sleeping departed." - Reuben 1:40 (regarding the rape of Bilhah)

"For until my father's death I had not boldness to look in his face, or to speak to any of my brethren, because of the reproach." - Reuben 2:2 (also regarding the rape of Bilhah)

"For many hath fornication destroyed; because, though a man be old or noble, or rich or poor, he bringeth reproach upon himself with the sons of men and derision with Beliar." - Reuben 2:8

"For evil are women, my children; and since they have no power or strength over man, they use wiles by outward attractions, that they may draw him to themselves." - Reuben 2:13

"For moreover, concerning them, the angel of the Lord told me, and taught me, that women are overcome by the spirit of fornication more than men, and in their heart they plot against men; and by means of their adornment they deceive first their minds, and by the glance of the eye instil the poison, and then through the accomplished act they take them captive." - Reuben 2:15

"For constant meetings, even though the ungodly deed be not wrought, are to [women] an irremediable disease, and to us a destruction of Beliar and an eternal reproach." - Reuben 2:22

"And bow down before [Judah's] seed, for on our behalf it will die in wars visible and invisible, and will be among you an eternal king." - Reuben 2:30

Twelve Days of Patriarchs - Intro

Listen to me, my children, and I will tell you a tale of plagiarized ideas and spirits of deceit.  It is a tale as old as religion itself; a tale of manipulation, a tale of lying for God.  It is a window into the ideas and morals of days of old, and a reflection of the path from where we have come.

Imagine, if you will, documents written hundreds of years before Jesus set foot on the earth in fully human form.  Imagine documents which emphasized Jesus' most memorable teachings: to love your neighbor as yourself, to avoid hate and lust just as you would murder and adultery, to forgive in order to be forgiven; long before they ever came from His mouth.  Imagine documents which appear to have provided Paul with source material for his epistles.  Imagine documents containing prophesies regarding Jesus which are so clear and precise that, by contrast, show the Old Testament prophesies of Jesus to be extremely obfuscated.

Imagine the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs (T12P); (almost all) deathbed confessions, instructions, and prophesies given by the sons of Jacob/Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Joseph, and Benjamin.

But there are some problems.

The T12P, in their current form, are Greek sources written around 100-200 AD.  Among the fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls, pieces of what appear to be an Aramaic version of the Testament of Levi and an Hebrew version of the Testament of Naphtali appear to be different from the Greek sources (as best as can be discerned from the highly damaged text).

Furthermore, the T12P contain many references which were common among the Apocryphal texts which were being produced in the centuries surrounding 200 BC, such as references to the Book of Enoch, Watchers (fallen angels), and Beliar (a.k.a. Belial, the ruler of demons).  200 BC is well after the twelve patriarchs died, making the T12P pseudographical; not originating from the claimed source.

The dating and sourcing issues of the T12P are thus complicated, due to distinctly (apocryphal) Jewish and distinctly Christian contents.  Thus, scholars are quite divided over exactly what was Christian and what was Jewish, and when the pieces were added or altered to the story.  Given the finding of only the Testaments of Levi and Naphtali with the Dead Sea Scrolls, there is also some question if the other ten Testaments are complete fabrications of the second century AD or if they had original Hebrew sources.

This would all be innocent enough if not for the implied teachings and prophesies of Jesus. The Christian teachings and prophesies are what make this important and relevant for study.  If they existed before Jesus was born, then obviously they could have been some of the original source material which became cobbled into the legend.  If the Christian references in these T12P instead came after the time of Jesus, then they become lies meant to trick the Jews into conversion, which should not be needed if you have the real Truth at your disposal.  I suspect that the truth is in the middle, but that it is more the latter case than the former.  Otherwise, we would expect the Gospel authors to have quoted these T12P for prophesies regarding Jesus instead of the murky Old Testament verses.  Yet whether or not some of Jesus' teachings were gleamed from these T12P is very hard to say with certainty.

My Christmas gift to you will be highlights from each of the twelve T12P, one every other day up to Christmas, starting two days from now.  Most of them start off with lessons learned in their Biblical lives, often related to or including the selling their brother Joseph into slavery, which tends to be some pretty fun fan fiction.  :-)  Then they tend to drift into prophesies of the future manifestation of God.

Enjoy!

Random Radio Tidbits

Driving back from the airport today, I had one of the Bible channels on the radio, and the show was a lesser known ultra-right-wing talk show run by a guy with a memorable name, but for the life of me I can't remember his name right now.  Doh!  :-)  Anyway, this guy's guest was a specialist in Islam.  Citing some of the fundamental problems with Islam, the guest said something to the effect of "You know, hate speech is based on when you start to claim your ideology is better than someone else's ideology."  I was thinking "that's the pot calling the kettle black."

The guest then went on to speak about how violent Islam is, adding a comment to the effect of "all you have to do is look back through history to see that it promotes violence."  I was thinking "as opposed to Christianity's history?"

After that guest, the host spoke about how Christian persecution is one of the most under-reported stories in the world today.  The host was actually making a pretty accurate case here, based on the tidbits of news of persecution I have heard.  The persecution is ongoing in countries which are dominated by Muslims, and the host brought up certain examples.  The one example which caught my ear was the report of the persecutions in Egypt.  With Mubarak gone and the military in charge, many of the more radical (more conservative) Muslims have amp'ed up the persecution, and the military is turning a blind eye to it.

This struck me a particularly interesting, because right after Mubarak left, interviews of Egyptian Christians on similar talk shows I heard at the time had a revelation.  To the Egyptian Christians, Mubarak's ousting was an answer to their prayers.  They had been praying for this very liberation.  Praise God!

I am certainly not gloating about anyone's persecution, so don't take this the wrong way.  I am simply pointing out that this is yet another case where people have mistaken events for evidence of God's actions.

Disclaimer

It is difficult to know how to treat Apocrypha; Biblical themed texts which have been excluded from the Bible. Some appear to be the historical equivalent of fan fiction. Others purport to contain prophesies and recorded the words of God. Sometimes they are a mix, so the line of discernment is blurry.

In a time without radio, TV, or the internet, coupled with literacy rates under an estimated 5%, it is likely that the relatively few written text stories were read aloud by the literate people to illiterate people as a form of teaching and entertainment. But illiterate people could have memorized the stories as told to them (and often did), and shared them with others creating an oral tradition. As the oral tradition was shared, it is possible that works originally written as fiction evolved into being considered true by the masses.

On the flip side, it is also quite possible, if not probable, that the order of creation was the opposite of what is described above. The story could have originated orally, could have been shared so much that it was considered true, and then, because of its popularity and imagined authenticity, could have been written down for posterity.

There is another option; that it was just an entertaining story that nobody really believed but everyone loved to hear.

I've only pointed to a few explanations above, when there could be many more across the spectrum of belief. The point is that it is a complex puzzle for us to unravel so many years later. This is especially true given that beliefs are rarely homogenous; local pockets of people could believe in what others know to be myths.

Even if all of the Apocrypha could categorically be considered false, like any human writing, they can contain truths about the human experience at the time in which they were written. They can illuminate customs and cultures. They can show what people thought about the world in which they lived; highlighting what they thought was possible, if not factual, in realm of the real and the supernatural.

Yet even that is not the completely picture. The written text to which we have access is most often not the original text. Through generations, the text was copied to preserve it. Each copy invited error. Each copy invited tweaking of the story. That tweaking could have been anything from correcting gaps in logic, to adapting the story for later times, to modifying it with the intent to promote a particular idea or cause.

In the Apocrypha we will take a close look at, we will find the character Belial portrayed as a ruler of demonic forces. This is the same Belial from 2 Corinthians 6:15, where we see:

What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? NIV

In the minds of the majority of the people of that time, Belial could be almost anything from a just a fictional portrayal of the ultimate evil, like Lord Voldemort, to a figure considered just as real as Christ Himself. Yet with the Biblical undertones of the Apocrypha, I would guess that it is very likely that at least some people believed Belial was real.

In December, I'll begin the exploration of some Apocrypha on this blog. :-)

Always on my mind...

To my loyal reader(s):  Thanks!  :-)

In the past several weeks, I've had lots to say, but not the time to say it.  Partly due to work.  Somewhat due to great debates which sprang up on my last two posts here.  (Incidentally, if you suffer from insomnia, they may help.  Just check out my comments.)

There is more coming, lots more as time permits, including a series I'm excited about regarding some recent research.  Want a hint?  Well, in 2 Corinthians 6:15 you find:

What harmony is there between Christ and Belial?  NIV

Just who the Hell is Belial?  Well, for starters, he's not Satan, but they are related in a sense.  That relation opens up a gateway into some rather interesting extra-canonical material.  So, keep an eye out for it...